New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch is now probing the alleged role of JNU student Sharjeel Imam in the 13 and 15 December Jamia Nagar violence along with the 5 January JNU campus violence case, ThePrint has learnt.
According to a source in the Crime Branch, Imam “instigated” the mob in Jamia Nagar that became violent and vandalised public property.
Four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged during the violence, in which a group of protesters also allegedly pelted stones and targeted residential buildings and even a hospital. Eleven people were arrested in connection with two cases that were filed over the Jamia Nagar violence.
The police registered two cases of arson and rioting in the matter and detained over 50 Jamia students and residents of Jamia Nagar’s Haji Colony and Batla House at three police stations.
“We have strong leads to say that he was involved in Jamia Nagar violence and incited the crowd. In fact, we have been tracking him since and were to arrest him but then the JNU violence happened,” the source said.
“He had previously delivered one such speech in Jamia on 13 December and thereafter has given one even more inflammatory speech against the government, which is being widely circulated on social media. These speeches have the potential to harm the religious harmony between different segments of the society and the unity and integrity of India,” the source said.
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The police also suspect Sharjeel Imam’s role in the 5 January JNU campus violence in which three FIRs have been registered. “Once we get his custody, we will also probe this angle,” the source said.
Sharjeel Imam, one of the key organisers of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest, was booked over his controversial remark suggesting that Assam be cut off from mainland India.
He has been arrested from Bihar’s Jehanabad and is being brought to Delhi.
Booked on the basis of two videos
Sharjeel Imam was arrested from Jehanabad after Delhi Police teams carried out several raids across Bihar on 25, 26 and 27 January.
“He was seen in Bihar at an anti-CAA rally after which a team of the Delhi Police was dispatched. Raids were conducted with the help of Patna police and he was nabbed,” DCP Crime Branch Rajesh Deo said.
“He is now being brought to Delhi from the shortest possible route, following which he will be produced before the magistrate and we will ask for his custody for interrogation,” he said.
Deo said that Imam was arrested for causing “disaffection towards state, giving a speech which was seditious in nature.”
According to the police, the FIR against Imam was registered on the basis of two videos — one on 13 December from Jamia Millia University and the other from Aligarh on 16 January, in which he is allegedly making “seditious speeches”.
Imam has been booked under IPC sections 124 A (an offence by words, either spoken or written causes disaffection against the government established by law), 153 A (promoting enmity between different religious groups with an intent to create disharmony) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Deo also said that Iman had not surrendered. “Sharjeel Imam did not surrender. A surrender is before the court. We arrested him after raids,” he said.
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Paid protests organised and financed by Pakistani ISI. Hope this newspaper writes against them also.
These people want media attention and instant publicity for entering in politics, all these things like he is doing because of he wants to enter in politics like kanhaiya Kumar,
Calling anti national slogans atract media very quickly..but this kind of thing very dangerous for our nation.